I have to thank Chef Ritu Dalmia for introducing authentic modern Asian cuisine to my palette and for reinforcing my faith in appetising vegetarian food. Situated at Meherchand market, ‘DIVA Spiced’ truly echoes Ritu’s signature flair of fresh and wholesome ingredients. I have been a fan of her work and her travel shows and reviewing her restaurant was a notable experience indeed :)
 |
| Beetroot salad (left), Bomra’s tomato salad |
 |
| Spicy Mushroom salad |
 |
| Asian Tapas- crystal (veg) dumplings |
 |
| Phyllo Pastry Samosa |
 |
| Corn and Tofu cakes |
 |
| papaya curry flavoured dish with kokum |
 |
| Beetroot burger |
 |
| Spiced Mess (left), salted caramel tart with maple ice cream |
The DIVA Spiced has a menu which is a culmination of essences, spices and novelties from the South East Asian belt. There is a lot to choose from, even when it comes to vegan options. Would you believe me, if I told you that my review highlights green side of the menu? Well YES. I indulged in some of most delicious vegan food. But before that I have to comment on the ambiance of this pretty, little place. Spiced has a cozy ambiance and the interiors boast of contemporary café like feel with a hint of vintage.
For drinks we ordered wild berries and passion fruit mango smoothie.
We started out with Asian Tapas that included different crystal (veg) dumplings. Chinese greens, asparagus and garlic dumpling had a zesty flavour with garlic dominating the assortment. My favourite pick was slow roasted pumpkin and water chestnuts, outright delish! Wild mushrooms with roasted carrots and chives dumplings were much-loved as well.
Among salads I loved trying Spicy Mushroom salad with fresh chilli, maple dressing, sesame and caramelized nuts. The maple dressing and caramelized nuts added a perfect sweet savour while chillies gave it the right amount of thrill. Another favourite has to be the fresh beetroot salad that was accompanied with guacamole, shredded coconut and Thai red chillies. Jaggery dressing was an absolute front runner in our third salad, Bomra’s tomato salad. With fresh tomatoes, sesame, tamarind and jiggery dressing, this salad could be your ‘it’ salad!
Up next were appetisers, the corn and tofu cakes were beautifully presented and were mouth melting. But the winning appetizer in this meal was the Phyllo Pastry Samosa with glass noodles and shitake mushrooms, an absolute must have.
We moved on to the mains with papaya curry flavoured dish with kokum, lychees, chillies and ginger served with rice noodles that exploded in the mouth with layered flavours. It’s a dish that I would recommend to all vegans out there. The beetroot burger however, lacked some spices but the burger bun was fresh and the patty was moist.
We were stuffed by the time dessert arrived! The fresh basil ice cream was stellar. Being a caramel hoarder, the salted caramel tart with maple ice cream was a heaven in the plate. Another special dessert was the Spiced Mess made up of lemon grass meringue with mascarpone cream and berry compote.
It was a lovely experience and I do recommend DIVA Spiced to the ones who want to try Asian cuisines with a fresh take!
Service: The staff is extremely friendly and the service is prompt.
Cost: Meal for two costs around INR 2200/- + taxes
Final Rating: 8.5/10
Have a question? Tweet it to me on @guiltybytes or follow me on Instagram for all real time updates.